Improved steam water-gauge indicator for boilers



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vWILLIAM HoDGsoN, or CINCINNATI, oHro.l

Letters Patent No. 93,884, :lated August 17, 1869.

IMROVED STEAM WATER-GAUGE INDICATOR FOR BOILERS.

The Schedule referred to in the/se. Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom it may concern Be it knownthat I, WILLIAM HoDGsoN, of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton,'and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Steam and Water-Gauge.; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this speciiication, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved steam and water-gauge.

Figure 2 is a vertical segtion through g. 2.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in both figures.

A, B, and C are metallic cylinders.

D is a glass air-chamber, made steam-tight at the bottom with the packing N.

E is a pipe, connecting the interiorof the cylinder O with the interior of the air-chamber D. 41t does not protrude above the bottom of the said air-chamber.

F is a pipe, which gives similar communication between the cylinders A and B.

G is a right-angled stop-cock, by means of which communication between the cylinders A and B is reg- Y ulated. When it is turned, as shown in iig. 2, thereis communication between them. When turned a quarter circle to the left, the communication ceases. When turned from the position shown a quarter circle to the right, there is communication betweenl the cylinder` A and the 'outer orifice O.

L is a pipe, entering the boiler at a point below which the water should never be permitted to go.

M is a pipe, entering the boiler at a point. above l1igh-water mark.

H is a glass tube, opening into the cylinders B andA D, and has a scale attached to or cut upon it, iig. 1. -l

K is a scale, attached' to or cut upon the glass aircha-mber D.

J is a pipe, opening into the air-chamber D, and

,rising to such height as maybe necessary, for the purpose hereinaiter explained. Said pipe extends out through the frame-work, and is covered by the screw.- cap I, fig; 1. I

P and P are screw-c1ps, attached to the tops of cylinders A and C, respectively, and through which water is poured into the said cylinders.

The operation of my improved water and steamgauges is as follows:

The screw-cap P'being rst removed, and the anglecock G. being arranged in such manner that there is free intercommunication between the cylinders A and B, water is poured into the cylinder A, until it is full. This will press the air out of the cylinders A and B, and a part of the tube H. The screw-cap I is then removed, so that the interior ofthe air-chamber communicates, through the pipe J, with the atmosphere.

Filtered, or otherwise clear water is then poured into the cylinder C, its screw-cap P' being rst removed, which empties, through pipe E, into the air-chamber D, until the water rises to the top of the pipe J. The

cap I is then put on, as shown, iig. 1; The cylinder C is then -filled with clear water, and its screw-cap fastened on. Air is now trapped in the upper portieri of the air-chamber D, the quantity. of which has been measured in the process just described, and, the'bottom of the air-chamber and the pipe J being iilled with water, and the pipe H partly with air, and partly the compressed air in the air-chamber, tends to force the air down the pipe H, and would force it all down said pipe, were it not for the fact, that the pressure of the steam upon the water in the boiler is equal to its pressure upon the water in the cylinder 0and, pressing against the water in the cylinder A, and immediately against the Water ,and air in the pipe H, the

' piessure from the cylinder O is just balanced.

The reverse of this proposition -is equally true:

'that is, that the pressure of the steam upon the wa.-

ter in the boiler would, if not balanced by its press.- ure uponthe water inv cylinder C, force the water up the pipe H, until it filled the air-'chamberD; and,

owing to the equal pressure thus described, the Water in the cylinders is quiet, .with the exception of a slight oscillation. n

lllrom this cause, two valuable results follow rst, that the water in the cylinders remains comparatively cool; and, second, that the-mud and deposit that may pass from the boiler into the water in cylinder A, do not go into cylinder B, but settle in the bottom of cylinder A, from whence they can be drawn out by the angled cock G, by turning itin the manner hereinbe-V fore described. A 1- I have, for greater clearness and simplicity, above descn'bed the pressure, which is given by the compressed air in the air-chamber or cylinder Dto the water in pipe H, to be equal to the pressure given by the water in pipe H to the said compressed air; but a closer inspection will show that this is not true, and

that the pressure given by the' said compressed ail-.Will

be greater than that given by the water in pipe H by the amount or weight of a column ofwater the height of thewater in the cylinder O above the highest point of the water in the ail-chamber D. This, I think, is evident; and this, it is believed, will be a further se' .curity against the explosionV of the boiler. y

Itis to be remarked that no stressvis laid upon the ossa.: 2

-reiative positions of the above-described devices, as 3. Tlie combinationof 'the cylinder C andan-chamtheir positions may be greatly varied without injury ber D, when connected by the pipe E,substa.ntial1y as to the invention. described. Y

Having thus described my invention, 4. The combination of the cylinders A and B, vwhen What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letconnected by the pipe F, substantially as deseribedi ters Patent, ik WILLIAM HODGSON.

1. The combination of the air-chamber D and pipe t J, substantially as described. Witnesses:

2. The combination o f the cylinder B and air-cham- J AMES MOORE, benl), when connected by the pipe H, substantially S.' S. MORRIS. 

